This World Cancer Day, we recognise the impact that cancer has on individuals, families, and communities โ not just medically, but emotionally, socially and practically.
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Support comes in many forms: from specialist services and peer groups, to local organisations offering guidance, wellbeing activities and community connection.
Itโs a free, searchable directory of local support services across Essex โ including cancer support groups, counselling services, wellbeing activities and more โ designed to make it easier for people to find the right support at the right time.
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๐บ๏ธ For residents:
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Whether youโre living with cancer, supporting someone who is, or looking for local wellbeing resources, visit www.essexmap.co.ukto explore support near you.
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๐ข For organisations:
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If your cancer support service or community group isnโt on the Essex Map yet, please consider adding your listing โ itโs free and helps people connect with the support they need. Email: communications@essexalliance.org.uk
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Support starts with information, connection and community โ and no one should have to find their way alone.
LGBTQ+ History Month (February) is a time to recognise the contributions, resilience and lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people โ past and present โ and to reflect on how connection and visibility continue to matter.
Across Essex, there are many organisations, support groups and community spaces doing vital work to support LGBTQ+ people and allies. The Essex Map (www.essexmap.co.uk) brings these services together in one easy-to-use, searchable place.
๐บ๏ธ For individuals: The Essex Map helps people find local support, social groups and community services โ whether theyโre looking for connection, advice, or somewhere safe to belong.
๐ข For organisations: If you run or support an LGBTQ+ group, service or inclusive organisation, listing on the Essex Map is free and helps ensure your work is visible and accessible to those who need it.
This LGBTQ+ History Month, letโs continue to build stronger, more connected communities โ and make sure no one in Essex feels they have to search alone.
Chelmsford For You is proud to be supporting Time To Talk Day 2026, taking place on Thursday 5 February, by partnering with local charity Renew Counselling & Training and new cafรฉ The Social to host Chelmsfordโs very first Time To Talk Coffee Morning.
Time To Talk Day is a nationwide initiative dedicated to encouraging open conversations about mental health. It brings people together across communities, workplaces and organisations to start meaningful discussions, promote understanding, and inspire positive change.
Having open and honest conversations about mental health can be a powerful first step towards improving wellbeing. Talking helps break down stigma, builds confidence, and reassures people that they are not alone. By creating a culture where mental health is spoken about openly, more people feel able to reach out for support when they need it.
To mark this yearโs Time To Talk Day, Chelmsford For You is inviting the local community to join them for a FREE, relaxed coffee morning at The Social, where the coffee is on us. The event will take place on Thursday 5 February, between 9am and 12pm (no booking required), offering a safe, welcoming and non-judgemental space for people to meet, chat and connect.
Members of the Renew Counselling & Training team, including trained counsellors, will be on hand to listen and talk, as well as share information about the services available to support mental health and wellbeing, should attendees wish to find out more.
In addition, representatives from The Glamour Room (located on Can Bridge Way) will also be attending, offering complimentary hand massages to encourage a moment of relaxation and โyou timeโ.
Plus, Chelmsford based artist curiousgb shares his experience growing up in the closet, its impact on his mental health, and his journey to self-acceptance. For Time to Talk Day, he confronts the elephant in the room with a playful diorama.
Sara Tupper, Chief Executive of Chelmsford For You, said:
โChelmsford is such a fantastic community when it comes to coming together and supporting one another. Weโre proud to be recognising this yearโs Time To Talk Day, promoting the importance of conversation and reminding people that in Chelmsford, you are not alone.โ
Nikki Schuster, Chief Executive of Renew Counselling & Training, said:
โWeโre so grateful to Chelmsford For You and the local businesses involved in Time to Talk Day
for supporting Renew. Itโs always a privilege to have meaningful conversations, raise awareness
of the support available and build relationships that help keep our vital work going. Itโs only
through the support of our community that we can continue to help people across Chelmsford,
regardless of age, background or financial circumstancesโ
A little more about Renew Counselling & Training
Renew Counselling & Training is a BACP-accredited mental health charity based in Essex, with
over 120 years of experience. The charity provides affordable and accessible counselling for
children, young people and adults, alongside professional counselling training. Renewโs
mission is to make high-quality mental health support available to anyone who needs it,
regardless of background or financial circumstances.
The consultation closes onย 3 February 2026, so please take a few minutes today to make your voice heard.
Why Your Voice Matters
This strategy will shape how we work together across Essex to tackle health inequalities and improve outcomes for residents. Your insights are essential to ensure the strategy reflects the real needs and priorities of our communities.
What Weโre Asking You
We want your views on the four key areas of the strategy, which will guide the Health and Wellbeing Boardโs focus over the next three years, along with the priorities within each. Your feedback will help us confirm whether these are the right areas or highlight other pressing challenges we may have overlooked.
Whatโs in the Strategy
Our vision:ย All residents are enabled to achieve good health, in safe and thriving communities, with access to support when they need it.
To achieve this, the strategy focuses on four key areas:
Improving life chances for children and young people
Helping more people into and stay in work
Building healthy, resilient, and connected communities
Creating opportunities to improve health and reduce the impact of poor health
There are three emerging priorities against each of these, including improving mental health, reducing poverty, helping more people into work, creating healthy places, and promoting healthy lifestyles.
Healthwatch Essex is delighted to be starting 2026 with an exciting opportunity to join their award-winning Carers Voices team.
They are currently recruiting a Carers Voices Officer to join the Information and Guidance Team.
This role is ideal for someone who is passionate about ensuring unpaid carers are heard and supported. The successful candidate will play a key role in reaching out to carers, engaging with them, and listening to their experiences to help shape and improve services.
You can find full details about the role and how to apply below:
Please help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity with your networks and including it in any relevant circulars. The webpage can be accessed here: ๐ https://healthwatchessex.org.uk/get-involved
Essex County Council & Connect Futures is promoting a series of free online workshops designed to help people feel safer, more confident, and better informed when navigating online information.
Weโre asking partners to help spread the word through newsletters, networks and community channels โ and please do encourage onward sharing.
๐จโ๐ฉโ๐ง Workshops for Parents
Misinformation, Community and Online Safety
These sessions support parents to better understand:
What misinformation and disinformation are, and where theyโre most commonly encountered
How to recognise symbols of hate and misleading online narratives
What is legal and illegal online in relation to hate and harmful content
Practical ways to talk to children about what theyโre seeing online
The workshops are welcoming, interactive and delivered by trained facilitators, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions and share concerns. ๐ Multiple dates available | โฑ 90 minutes | ๐ป Online | Free to attend
Spot common tricks used in misleading posts, viral rumours and emotionally charged content
Understand how images, headlines and algorithms influence reactions
Recognise how scams, fraud and misinformation often overlap
Use simple tools to check whether information is trustworthy before sharing
No technical skills are needed โ just curiosity. Sessions are friendly, jargon-free and focused on staying safe online. ๐ Multiple dates available | โฑ 90 minutes | ๐ป Online | Free to attend
There will also be train-the-trainer sessions (one for each workshop). If you know practitioners or community leaders who may be interested, please get in touch to receive full details. They are also very welcome to attend a standard session first to see how itโs delivered.
Looking for a calm and culture-filled way to spend your Saturday afternoons? Screentime Free Film Club invites you to step away from everyday distractions and enjoy a thoughtfully curated film screening each week at Harlow Central Library.
Taking place every Saturday from 2.00 โ 4.00 pm, the club offers free film screenings in a welcoming, friendly environment. Thereโs no need to bookโjust turn up, take a seat, and enjoy. Refreshments are available at a small charge, making it the perfect excuse to settle in and unwind.
The programme showcases a diverse range of classic, international, and independent films, offering something a little different from mainstream cinema and a great opportunity to discover hidden gems from around the world. Whether youโre a seasoned film lover or simply curious to try something new, youโll find a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere.
So why not make it part of your weekend routine? Drop in, switch off your screens, and let the film take you somewhere new.
Saturday 3 January โ Lured (1947): A gripping film noir set in London, starring Lucille Ball as a dancer helping Scotland Yard track a serial killer.
Saturday 10 January โ Donโt Ever Open That Door (1952): A dark Argentinian noir featuring two tense crime stories, shown with English subtitles.
Saturday 17 January โ The Long Farewell (1971): A haunting, dreamlike Russian drama exploring the fractured bond between a mother and son.
Saturday 24 January โ Stella Dallas (1937): A classic Hollywood melodrama about love, sacrifice, and motherhood.
Saturday 31 January โ The Southerner (1945): Jean Renoirโs moving portrait of a Texas family striving for independence against the odds.
Saturday 7 February โ The Creatures (1966): An imaginative French film by Agnรจs Varda, blending reality and science fiction.
Saturday 14 February โ A Game Without Rules (1967): A gritty Czechoslovak crime drama full of intrigue and moral ambiguity.
Saturday 21 February โ Titanic Waltz (1964): A sharp Romanian comedy satirising politics, family life, and ambition.
Author: Emily Smith
Posted:
Categories: Events, News
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